Hezbollah launches more than 100 rockets into Israel

Militant group declares open-ended battle of reckoning’ as hundreds of thousands run for cover following air-raid sirens

- ALASTAIR JAMIESON

Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets across northern Israel yesterday as a senior leader declared an "open-ended battle of reckoning", with both sides appearing closer than ever to all-out war. Some of the rockets landed near the city of Haifa; one struck near a residential building in Kiryat Bialik, wounding at least three people and setting buildings and cars on fire.

It followed Israeli strikes on Lebanon that have killed dozens, including a veteran Hezbollah commander, and an unprecedented attack targeting the group’s communications devices. Air raid sirens across northern Israel sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling into shelters.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would take whatever action was necessary to restore security and allow people to return to their homes. “No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We can’t accept it either,” he said.

Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed and another four wounded in Israeli strikes, without saying whether they were civilians or combatants.